tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399966929964838853.post1117786738015205739..comments2023-09-26T09:31:52.849-07:00Comments on The Flamboyant Introvert: No One Ever Claimed Black Lives Don't MatterBakari Kafelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06037720771479419105noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399966929964838853.post-1432957854292199662017-03-17T15:31:48.332-07:002017-03-17T15:31:48.332-07:00Hi "unknown", thanks for stopping by and...Hi "unknown", thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!<br /><br />- A lot of things lead to differences in wealth, but the research suggests that the two biggest factors are one's parents level of wealth, and education. Certainly, there are obviously many examples of exceptions, but statistically these are the strongest, most consistent correlations.<br />This explains why race appears to be such a strong factor: one's parents are almost always the same race as themselves. Both wealth itself (or lack there of) and culture are both inherited. So, if one group starts out uniformly oppressed (say, by nearly 100% of members of one race being held as property, or 90% genocide of the inhabitants of an entire continent), differences in wealth are likely to persist even after any significant oppression has ended in the present, many 100s of years later.<br /><br />I do have a fairly high savings rate (although a very low overall income - I just live on even less), but only 1/2 black (like our former president). Of course, the white side was poor too, but I'm not the first generation in my family to move into middle class. Anyway, I hope to have the integrity not to pass any wealth to my (soon to be!) child(ren?).<br /><br />It would not be possible for every poor person to become middle class so long as the top 1%, 0.1% and especially 0.01% continue to have as much wealth as they do. There is not, and never can be, an infinite amount of wealth in the world. In order to lift up all the lower classes of the world, that has to all come from somewhere.<br />Preventing nepotism of material possessions frees up wealth from people who don't even need it making it available to everyone else. Only when there is anything available for them would there be any real point in encouraging them to save.<br /><br />Freedom is a big deal in America. I question whether it has any inherent value though. Certainly there are specific instances where more freedom is warranted - particularly where a choice doesn't affect anyone but the chooser. I would like to see marriage made purely a commitment between individuals, in which government plays absolutely no role. I'd like to see a lot of zoning restrictions, habitability standards, and local codes removed. However, I think the ultimate goal always has to be improving life and increasing happiness, and never simply freedom for its own sake.<br />I wrote more about that a few years ago:<br />http://www.randomthoughts.fyi/2014/03/freedom-vs-democracy.html<br />And here's another perspective from someone who isn't me (but maybe explains my thoughts even better than me):<br />https://mtgap.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/freedom-or-happiness/<br /><br />Very relevant to this concept, is the findings in psychology the explicitly suggest in many instances having more choices directly decreases happiness:<br />https://hbr.org/2006/06/more-isnt-always-better<br />and<br />https://psmag.com/the-paradox-of-choice-10-years-later-f54d3f6c43d0#.k9qieq616<br /><br />I am absolutely sure that culture is a huge part of preventing saving and valuing education. I don't know how best to address that. I think the first step may be removing the 'victim' and 'separate from society' mindsets that are so common among all poor American's, and especially Black ones. Hence my focus there in a lot of my posts.<br /><br />Again, it is research into the variables that lead to better life outcomes that lead me to support preschool, not just a guess or opinion on my part. You could make the same argument for school in general, at all ages, and you would be right that some children would be better off that way. For those individuals, a parent is always able to opt for home schooling. But the fact that that option requires positive pro-action from the parent insures that it really is only those who are better off at home that end up skipping preschool. Bakarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04002145755975841287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399966929964838853.post-70469875081718399862017-03-17T14:05:53.971-07:002017-03-17T14:05:53.971-07:00Hi Bakari, Very interesting ideas here. I am inter...Hi Bakari, Very interesting ideas here. I am interested in understanding better what you are saying about wealth=white privilege. You say that when you control for wealth, racial differences disappear. What do you think leads to the differences in wealth? You yourself have a high savings rate (from what I gather from your posts on MMM) and you are black, therefore you are likely to have wealth to pass on to your offspring. What if rather than trying to outlaw people from passing on their wealth we try to figure out how to encourage others to do the same? I am for more, not less, freedom. Heavily taxing inheritance interferes with freedom. Third question - you see cultural identification correlated with police targeting. Could not culture be part of why one group is able to save and another is not? Or why one group seeks more education and another does not? Or how some low income groups band together and form savings clubs to help each other start businesses and buy homes, and others do not organize this way. I went to school with middle class white and black people (latinos and asians too) and both groups are doing very well today, so it clearly goes beyond skin color. I look forward to your thoughts. PS don't fight for mandatory preschool. Many children are better off spending time with their families rather than in a large group setting. Again, more freedom, not less.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03472413281202990123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399966929964838853.post-79368736068679815192016-07-25T19:01:39.817-07:002016-07-25T19:01:39.817-07:00I know. I didn't mean to imply he was shot by...I know. I didn't mean to imply he was shot by a cop. I put him in the same general category because the media and activists do, and because, like the majority of other victims we hear about, he was the one to instigate violence.Bakarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04002145755975841287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399966929964838853.post-31402173505392333352016-01-29T11:20:59.908-08:002016-01-29T11:20:59.908-08:00I have a small factual correction for this old, ol...I have a small factual correction for this old, old post (I found the blog while researching bicycles and decided to check out the rest.) <br /><br />Trayvon Martin wasn't shot by a cop. He was shot by a civilian who had tried to become a police officer several times and been turned away because the police department thought he was too unstable. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399966929964838853.post-85721168157806735252015-05-02T08:28:19.520-07:002015-05-02T08:28:19.520-07:00I've embedded it in two other past posts I'...I've embedded it in two other past posts I've written on related topicsBakarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04002145755975841287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399966929964838853.post-6761105296578302062015-05-02T08:27:45.602-07:002015-05-02T08:27:45.602-07:00funny... but also sad because its so true, and so ...funny... but also sad because its so true, and so very few people get it. It would make a good public service announcement in poor and high crime areasBakarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04002145755975841287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2399966929964838853.post-84775094388057713442015-05-02T03:04:20.051-07:002015-05-02T03:04:20.051-07:00Thank you, Bakari for a great perspective. Chris R...Thank you, Bakari for a great perspective. Chris Rock has a very funny sketch on how to avoid getting your ass kicked by the police (on youtube). Commandment number 1 is Obey the Law!gpamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04525707417403051362noreply@blogger.com